A grizzly bear wounded by an elk hunter near Marias Pass was found dead Oct. 28 about 150 yards from where it was shot, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials report. Not far away was the carcass of a poached moose that likely prompted the animal to attack.

The 15-year-old sow was shot in the Badger-Two Medicine area one day earlier, about two miles from the pass. FWP grizzly bear management specialist Mike Madel said the bear likely charged two hunters in the area because she and her cubs were feeding on the moose carcass.

The shooting prompted the FWP to warn hunters in the area to keep their bear spray handy. One of the two hunters who was charged had bear spray with him, but it was hanging on the back of his backpack and he couldn’t get to it in time, Madel said.

“This situation could have been avoided with the use of bear spray,” Madel said. “This hunter had time to use bear spray. He shot very quickly, and he mortally wounded this bear.”

The dead grizzly was found in a pit she had dug under a tree after being shot. Her cubs ran off when wildlife officials arrived. The sow’s cubs were in good condition, and officials decided to allow them to try to survive on their own rather than capturing them, Madel said.

In a separate nearby encounter on Oct. 26, a hunter reported being charged by a grizzly but the shot he fired did not hit the bear. Madel said the same bear was likely involved.

FWP is seeking information on the deaths of the poached cow moose and a calf moose found nearby.